The study of my Family Tree

So today I was surfing around in the Google News Archives looking for information on great-grandfather Williams Rogers Wells and came across an obituary for a Captain James H. Wells who I’m really sure who he is. His obit ran in “The Day” newspaper on December 8, 1908 but doesn’t list his exact date of death.

According to his obit, he was born Jan 21, 1850 to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Wells in Waterford, CT. Further research on ancestry.com shows that his mother was a Cynthia Wheeler. Cynthia and Russell also had a son named Charles.

James married a Sarah and had 4 children: Francis, Fanny, Sara and one who had already died. It’s and interesting obit and I’d like to know who this fellow is. If you know who his father Russell was a son of, I’d like to know.

While home at my parents house for Thanksgiving I came across a Seventh Day Baptist Praise book belonging to my Great, Great Grandmother, Martha Ann (Rogers) Wells. Marth Ann was the daughter of Daniel Rogers of Montville, CT and Sally Newbury (sometimes spelled Newberry as well). Martha Ann married Jonathan Rogers of Hopkinton, RI. Here is a picture of Martha Ann:

Here are some photos of her Praise Book:

The Rogers family was a very religious family. Her father Daniel was the great-grandson of John Rogers who started the Rogerene religious movement. Up until Martha Ann married into the Wells family, there really aren’t any mentions of the Wells family in connection with a church. The Wells were a very prominent family and there are a lot of records on them but none church related. After Martha Ann marries Jonathan, that all changes and Wells family become very involved with the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Hopkinton. In many ways I thank Martha Ann for my current Christian beliefs.

So if you look at the title page of the Praise Book, you’ll see the name George B. Utter. George is not a blood relation but he was married to Catherine Clark Stillman who is. Catherine was the daughter of Abel Stillman and Content Maxson, making her my 2nd Cousin 4Xs Removed. Both Catherine and George are buried in River Bend Cemetery in Westerly. Here are pictures of Catherine and George:

A little bit ago I found the attached information on findagrave.com on Ansel Monroe Wells. Ansel is my 2nd cousin 4xs removed and the son of John Hewitt Wells and Celestia Brown.

I had know about Ansel but until I found the info on findagrave.com I didn’t have any info on his descendants. Normally I would take info like this with a grain of salt but since it included photos of the people as well as photos of the graves, it’s probably pretty legit.

My cousin sent me my Grandmother’s cook book earlier this year and I’ve had a project going to transcribing it to create a family cook book adding in recipes from my other grandmother, my mother and also me. While working my way through Grandma’s cookbook today I came across a section of cocktail recipes. Does it say something about your family that they have cocktail recipes in with the apple pie recipes? Humm… Food for thought, if you’ll pardon the pun. Here are good old Grandma Geoghan’s cocktail recipes.

Cook cranberries and water until all the skins pop open which is almost 5 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth. Bring juice to boiling point add sugar and boil 2 minutes. Serve cold. This may be put into sterilized bottles, cooled and sealed for future use. Before serving add a little lemon juice or orange juice.

Put the grenadine into a 12 or 14 ounce glass. Fill glass almost to the brim with shaved ice, keeping the grenadine on the bottom of the glass. Shake lemon juice, powdered sugar and rum in cocktail shaker with ice. Carefully strain into glass containing grenadine and ice taking care to keep 2 distinct levels of color. Then fill glass to brim with strained ice.

Shelbourn Punch

2 ounces gin

1 ounce lemon juice

1 ounce orange juice

1 tablespoon simple syrup

¾ ounce Puerto Rican rum (dark)

1 ½ ounce whiskey

1 tablespoon Jamaican rum

Shake all ingredients together with find ice, stir entire contents into 12 ounce glass. Then fill glass almost to brim with finely cracked ice

Arrack is a type of alcohol produced in Asia and parts of the Middle East. Traditionally, arrack has been produced from fermented palm sap, although ingredients like rice, other grains, sugarcane, and molasses can be used to produce arrack as well. This beverage is quite popular in Indonesia and parts of Sri Lanka, and some mixed drink recipes call specifically for arrack since it has a distinctive flavor. Do not confuse arrack with arak, a Middle Eastern drink made from raisins; arak has a flavor like anise, similar to the Greek ouzo.

So I was up at the Family History EXPO up in Atlanta this past weekend. Had a great time. If you haven’t been to one of these things before, boy, you’re missing out. Took 10 classes in everything from learning how to better use my roots magic software to using a GPS for genealogy. Working my German roots to how to get the most from my digital camera in my study of my family tree.

There was a booth in the exhibit fall that was a company called Family Tree DNA. I’ve been wanting to get my parents to do DNA testing but can’t seem to figure out which company would be the best to use. Has anyone out there had DNA testing? What were you experiences like? Let me know the good and bad and help me choose. Basically with my Dad, I’d like to find out where his father’s, father is from in Ireland. Hoping that the test could show me a large concentration of his male DNA in a specific area of Ireland.

With my Mom’s maternal side, I think the direct maternal line comes from germany. We also think that those ancestors in Germany may have been Jewish. Would be nice to know if we could confirm or deny that rumor.

So if anyone out there can help me out with some suggestions, that would be great.

Here are 2 more of the Wells letters I bought on EBAY. It’s my plan when I get them all transcribed and posted to take a more big picture look at them to see if I can’t find a way to find some of these folks’ descendants. I like this first letter. SOme odd ailments!

I can hardly realize that two years and one has passed since you were here. How are you getting along. Well I hope. By mere accident, we herd that you were married and I know nothing of your where abouts but thinking these few lines might find you, I improve the present opportunity in writing.

When you were here, you was so innocent about getting married and I suppose it was a settled plan then. Is the gentleman married that brought you those nice peaches__

The September after you were here I went to Minisota. Jennies husband said if I would come he would give me twenty five dollars and Mr. Chamberlin gave me a pass (?) up the lakes to Milwauke and back xxx quietly I accepted this kind offer. I made up my mind I rest and have a good visit for I was completely tired out but providence ordered otherwise. I had been their about 2 weeks when I received a letter from home stating Sister Betsy was not expected to live. I received the letter in the eve and started for home the next morning. When I got home, I found her better. She had a terrible carbuneli(?) on her bowels. It was as large round as a breakfast plate and she suffered a great deal. The Dr. said her being so fleshly saved her live as it had something to feed upon. She eat out the center with casti (?) and when he took it out you could see every movement of the bowels-

The day after Thanksgiving I received a letter from my brother Williams daughter. She stated her mother had been quite unwell all summer and was sick only a short time previous to her death. She had a tumer in the bowels which enlarged so rapidly that it caused her death in a short time. I can’t realize that I shall never see her dear face again. I loved her very much, she was a dear good woman. Brother Talbot has moved twice since spring. He bought a pretty place on High Street, made some improvements and sold it for $3000 and bought another for $2000. The location is not as good as the one on High Street but they have less dust and noise being xxxx the depot their was a constant din – I received from Jean a few days since they were all usually well. Your uncle’s health is better for the last few weeks. I can see thathe has gained some flesh all the fall and fore part of the winter he ad a troublesome cough and was so weak he consulted Dr. xxx but did not take his medicine but for the last few weeks he has been smoking and taking medicine that I think is helping him. He is industrious as ever. Last week with help, he got up a good wood pile. This week he is draning (?) inamure (?) from Vernon, he usually improves the good roads in winter for that business. Sister Betsey sends much love and says she would like to step in and have a chat and give you a good shakin up. Give out best love to Solomon and his fife and all enquiring friends. Kiss Alice for me and tell her I say she must be a good girl and mind sister.

A long time has elapsed since we have had any correspondence. Owing I suppose to the miscarriage of a letter I wrote you the last letter and in it I made some inquires as to your business matters which I suppose did not meet your approbation. And did not know to the contrary until Helen received a letter from you stating you had written to me last also that you expected to make us a visit this summer. I deferred writing then thinking you would be out here but I have not seen any thing of you. So I concluded I would write again. You are aware I suppose that I was to Utica last winter on a visit and it was my intention to visit you on my way home but I received a letter from Frances that they had sold their place and was going away the next week, which hurried me right home. They had a sale and sold off their things before I got back I was very much disappointed that I could not visit you for with two or three dollars more expense I could have seen the rest of my friends. I had a first rate visit there. They were all very kind to me and seemed to be very pleased with my coming to see them.. I was there six weeks. Austin has gone to Indiana to keep sheep on the prairies he lives in Jasper County. He has a brother living there was the reason of his going there. After he sold out he had some notion of going ti Iowa but concluded he would wait until war was over. You can’t imagine my feelings when I get to thinking sometimes about my family. They are all away from me. Frances in Indiana, John in Utica and Helen is in Findlay going to school and when she gets through I suppose she will go off somewhere to teach where I cannot see her very often. I wish when you receive this you would write me a long letter and let me know how you get along and if you are still living in the house alone and how Franks family is and Henry’s family if you see Uncle Sol, give my kind regards to him. My health is quite poor. I think if I could staid in Utica two or three months and Doctored my throat it would got better. But I came home and had to go into hard work and what medicine I took did not do it a bit of good for two cents I would go away now and stay all winter and let them take care of them selves. Stewarts folks are well, his oldest girl Mary has gone to Illinois to teach school among her Mothers friends. She and her sister younger have both been teaching this summer. When you write I wish you would let me know if you know any thing about your Uncle Epaphro’s family. I must bring my letter to a close and promise you a longer one next time. My love to Alice and accept a share for yourself.

This from your Aunt

S.A. Coats

PS: If you write to Frances, Direct to Renselear Jasper County Indiana.